A few years back I decided that by my 55th birthday I would try to hit the highest point of every US state in the lower 48. I figured if I was able to bag Alaska and Hawaii that would be a bonus. Well, I just turned 49 and I have only summitted 2 of the 48 high points so far. Almost exactly 5 years ago to this day, I joined Levi, Parker, and my good, but late friend, Todd Young (RIP) in scaling the second highest high point in the lower 48 - Mount Elbert in Colorado (14,433 feet). Levi took the picture of Parker, Todd, and me (see above).
After moving from Colorado to Kansas in late 2021, I was passing through the panhandle of Oklahoma in July of 2022 on my way to Las Vegas, NM when I stopped off and hiked the 8 mile roundtrip to the top of the Black Mesa. The highest point in Oklahoma is 32 miles north of Texas, 4 miles south of Colorado, and only 1000 feet east of New Mexico. It sits at 4,973 feet above sea level.
If my math is correct, having only hit 2 of the 48 high points in 5 years means that I need to up my average per year over the next 6 years if I am to accomplish my goal. I plan to get started tomorrow when I will hit the highest point in Louisiana (Driskell Mountain - 535 feet) and then Mount Magazine in Arkansas (2,753 feet). Hopefully there will be quite a few more high points to follow soon. I plan to blog about each hike, so stay tuned over the next few days and months. Maybe I'll see you on one of these adventures along the way. - Shay
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